[wplug] Why I choose Linux

David Ostroske eksortso at linuxmail.org
Tue Feb 11 16:49:29 EST 2003


I thought Robert's response was right on the money!

From: Alexandros Papadopoulos <apapadop at cmu.edu>
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 15:23:12 -0500 

> BUT, Linux looses on the desktop because it has the "outsider" role.

Because it "has the 'outsider' role." That's self-defeating. Linux wasn't designed to be the "outsider," despite its advocates' proclamations. Linux was designed for Linus to get things done. In a modest way, to begin with, but people saw the potential to get things done. Then other people worked on it. Free software advocates may have had ideological reasons to develop Linux, but in the end, they wanted to get things done. Techie things to do, but techie things to get done.

So, why can't businesspeople get business things done on Linux? They can. Why can't Grandma get Grandma things done? She can. Why can't Hollywood special effects artists get Hollywoo-- wait, they already do. HOW'D THAT HAPPEN?? Because they needed to GET THINGS DONE!! And they did them using Linux, because it was cheaper and easier, and arguably, that was empowering.

> Linux always has to try to co-exist with Windows, the de-facto OS. 

This won't change soon, but we can all testify that it *can* be changed!

> Special high-performance drivers for Windows, highly though-out 
> configurations preinstalled... and then someone wants to install linux. 
> They now have to go through the process of installing it *themselves*, 
> which starts them off with an air of "linux is tough to use".

They'd want help even if they wanted to install Windows again. Which most users of Win9x have had to do at one time or another. Believe me, I know!

> These 
> people have never installed and configured Windows XP and the 57 
> applications they're running... if they ever got the chance to do both 
> from scratch, they would realize that Windows is actually as hard as 
> Linux to install.

Amen, brother.

> Then there is support. In my school, if someone has a linux question 
> they can't solve, they come to me, because if they go to Computing 
> Services they will be given the canned "Sorry, we don't support linux" 
> response.

That's changing, now. Three years ago, I found, to my delight, that my ISP (Telerama) supported Linux. It just goes to show that if we've got as much share of the market as Macs do in some places, then support questions will eventually be answered.

> When people ask me, I sometimes answer, sometimes give them a 
> link and tell them to RTFM (when it's something already documented very 
> well), sometimes just grab their laptop and do it for them.

That's the only serious bottleneck that I can see on the road to the desktop. But there are some sites, like linuxnewbie.org (now it's justlinux.com), that are helping users help themselves.

> On the 
> other hand, if someone has a problem in Windows, they go to the 
> "official" computing support people who take care of everything for 
> them, and who already have all the answers (supported hardware, 
> official drivers, official vendor support, pre-configured images). 
> Heck, if worse comes to worse (and I know of 5-6 people in my class who 
> had this done), the support guys just re-image the laptop with the 
> original known-good Windows XP image.

You may not like it, but that's what outfits like RedHat are trying to do, offer that level of gloss that a lot of users, personal and corporate, desire. It's a real need, like it or not. You may know better, but not everyone does. And if you think that's unjust, then you can consult for these people, and save them money in the long-term.

> In conclusion, by using Linux you're swimming against the stream. No 
> support, no drivers, no guarantees. Everything is easier if we use 
> Windows... the lock-in is so thick in the air, you can cut it with a 
> knife.

What software comes with a warranty? And what end user has ever successfully sued Microsoft?

Yeah, there's still a lock-in. But these days, a butter knife will suffice.

So stop frettin'.

--- David Ostroske
    eksortso at linuxmail.org

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